1. Field of the Invention
The Embodiments of the present invention relate to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and a power control method of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
MRI is an imaging method which magnetically excites nuclear spin of an object set in a static magnetic field with an RF pulse having the Larmor frequency and reconstructs an image on the basis of MR signals generated due to the excitation. The aforementioned MRI means magnetic resonance imaging, the RF pulse means a radio frequency pulse as an excitation pulse, and the MR signal means a nuclear magnetic resonance signal.
In recent years, high-speed imaging technology is promoted as represented by EPI (Echo Planar Imaging) and so on. When high-speed imaging such as EPI is performed, high output power is required in units of an imaging system such as an amplifier in an RF pulse transmitter and a gradient magnetic field power supply.
In an MRI apparatus, the electric power consumed in imaging is supplied from an external commercial power source. Thus, in order to enable the above high-speed imaging, i.e. in order to enable sufficient output, the maximum consumed power in the case of performance of the high-speed imaging, a power-supply facility of an MRI apparatus has been growing in size.
Incidentally, as conventional technology regarding power sources of a medical image generation system such as an MRI apparatus, the uninterruptible power source described in Patent Document 1 is known.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (Translation of PCT Application) No. 10-510135
If a power-supply facility of an MRI apparatus grows in size, it causes not only increase in facility expense but also restriction in site design. Concretely speaking, more restrictions are imposed on arranging methods of respective components of an MRI apparatus in an examination room and a computer room.
Therefore, in MRI, a novel technology to downsize a power-supply facility without decreasing the maximum consumed power has been desired.